Gas distribution apparatus



Aug.25, 1931. -H 1,820,662

GAS DISTRIBUTION APPARATUS Filed Nov. 1, 1929 INVENTOR.

Patented Aug. 25, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM W. HACKNEY, 0F FORT WAYNE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WESTERN GAS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF INDIANA one DISTRIBUTION arranarus This invention relates to thelubrication of the interior of pipes used for the distribu-' tion of gas and in particular to apparatus for generating a fog of oil' particles for such lubrication.

Of the several methods for producingoil fog in the pipes or mains for the distribution of gas, such, for example, as city gas, atomization by means of compressed gas is very satisfactory.

Due to the settling out of the fog particles it is not possible to adequately lubricate a distribution system of large size from one point. If the system is large enough to serve an entire city, the placing of oil to in the mains should occur at a nufnber o widely separated points.

Oil fog'making apparatus of the type referred to above and for use at an isolated point ordinarily includes a compressor an an atomizer. The compressor furnishes-gas under pressure 'to the atomizer-and a small oil reservoir for supplying oil to the atomizer is located adjacent to the atomizer and to the gas compressor. Such apparatus is described and claimed, in a'copending application to Herbert D. Straight, Serial No. 396,477, filed October 1, 1929.

An object of the present invention is to utilize the heat that is set free by the compression of the gas for warming the oil that is to be atomized. This'increases the efiiciency of operation because warm oil can be broken into a fog of fine particles more easily than the same oil when cold.

The single figure of the drawing is an elevational view partly in cross-section of oil fogxap aratus embodying my invention.

s s own in the drawing, a compressor 1 receives gas through an inlet pipe 2 and discharges it under pressure through a pipe 3 to an atomizer 4.

The atomizer 4 discharges the gas along with atomized oil in the form of an oil fog through a tangential inlet 5 into the upper part of a reservoir 6.

The tangential inlet 5 imparts a whirling motion to the oil fog within the upper part of the reservoir 6, thereby projecting the heaviertparticles of oil against the sides of the reservoir, and the finer particles pass from the center of the upper part of the reservoir 6 through an outlet pipe 7 to the gas main that is to be lubricated.

The lower part of the reservoir 6 contains a supply of oil. The atomizer 4 draws oil from the lower part of the reservoir through a pipe 8 and atomizes it to form the fog of fine particles above mentioned.

The cylinder and cylinder head of the gas compressor 1 are provided with cooling fins 10. A combined inlet and exhaust valve chamber 11 forms part of the cylinder -head of the compressor.

The cylinder and cylinder head are enclosed by means of a casing 12, the valve chamber 11 extending through the sides of the casing 12. An inlet pipe 13 leads from the bottom of theoil reservoir 6 to the lower d part of the casing. An outlet pipe 14 serves as a return line from the upper part of the casing 12 to the bottom of the reservoir 6.

The two pipes 13 and 14 along with the casing and tank form a closed circuit for thermosiphon circulation. The oil is warmed by contact with the fins 10, rises to the upper part of the casing 12, flows upwardly through the pipe 14, and an equivalent amount of oil flows downward through pipe 13. It is an advantage to have the pipe 14 discharge the warmer oil adjacent the place where pipe 8 connects with the reservoir 6, although not essential.

The reservoir 6 is provided with a gauge glass 15. The atomizer feed pipe 8 is joined to the reservoir 6 through a flanged connection 16 to permit the use of a filter 17 which prevents clogging of the fine nozzle within the atomizer 4. A hand valve 18 in feed pipe 8 regulates the density of the fog.

The casing 12 is provided with a hand plate 19 to render the cylinder head of the compressor and the valve chamber 11 accessible. Power is applied to the compressor 1 through shaft 20.

Jackets of heat insulating material 21 cover the pipes 3 and 14. The compressed gases issuing from the valve casing 11 are quite hot and the presence of insulation about the pipe-3 insures the transmission of this heat to the atomizer.

If desired, heat insulating jackets may be applied to pipe 8, reservoir 6 and casing 12.

The operation of the oil fog apparatus is such that upon application ofsuitable ower to the compressor 1, gas under low or or inary pressure such as a few inches of Water or three or four pounds per square inch is drawn through pipe 2 and forced through the atomizer 4.

The atomizer draws oil upwardly through the feed pipe 8, breaks it into a fine spray or fog of oil particles and projects the expanded gas with the entrained oil particles through inlet 5 into the upper part or settling chamber of the reservoir 6. The finer oil particles and all of the gas pass through pipe 7 to the gas main. V The heat liberated in the cylinder'and cylinder head of the compressor 1 by the compression of the gas heats the oil in the casing 12 and the thermo-siphon circulation through the pipes 13 and 14 cause all of the oil in the lower part of the reservoir to be heated. The warm oil is atomized into finer particles than if it were cold.

An advantage of my invention is that the circulation of oil around the cylinder and cylinder head of the compressor does not interfere with the operation of the compressor since cooling is necessary. If the oil were not present, the heat would be wasted by warming the surrounding atmosphere.

Several modifications of the embodiment illustrated and described above are possible. For example, oil feed pipe 8 and circulation pipe 14 might both be disconnected from the reservoir and joined together. Then all of the heat liberated by the compressor is employed in warming. the small volume of oil passing. directly to the atomizer 4:. The main body of oil in the reservoir 6 is not heated except from the addition of the larger oil particles that are projected against the sides of the reservoir by the whirling of the gases in the upper part of the reservoir 6 due to the tangential direction of the inlet 5.

Still another modification comprises the enclosing of the lower part, for example, of the cylinder in one casing and the cylinder head in another casing. One of the two casings is then connected to the lower part of the oil reservoir with two pipes for thermosiphon circulation and the other casing is so connected to the reservoir and to oil feed pipe 8 that the oil being used by the atomizer 1s heated by passing through that particular casing. Still other modifications are possible.

My invention also comprises the heating of oil to be atomized by means of heat of compression even where only one compressor and one atomizer are used for an entire gas distribution system.

Salvaging of heat liberated at the compressor by supplying such heat to the atomizer might also be accomplished by circulating the gas being compressedaround the outside of the cylinder or cylinder head. The gas, after compression, is very hot and ordinarily needs no additional heating.

Transmitting heat from the compressor to the atomizer by keeping various parts of the apparatus, size as the pipe that conducts the compressed gas to the atomizer covered with heat insulating material also lies within the scope of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for dispersing finely divided particles of liquid through a as comprising an atomizer, means for supp ying liquid to the atomizer, means for compressing and supplying gas to the atomizer and means for transmitting heat liberated by the compression of the gas to the gas and liquid passing throughthe atomizer.

2. Apparatus for dispersing finely divided particles of a liquid through a gas comprising an atomizer, means for supplying the liquid to the atomlzer, means for compressing and supplying a gas to the atomizer and means for circulating the liquid around the means for compressing the gas to absorb heat therefrom.

3. Apparatus for dispersing finely divided particles of a liquid through a gas and com-.

prising an atomizer, means for supplying the liquid to the atomizer, means for compressing and supplying the gas to the atomizer, means for circulating the liquid around the compressor to absorb the heat resulting from compression of the gas, insulating means forre-- taining heat in the gas as it passes from the compressor to the atomizer and insulating means for retaining heat in the liquid as it passes from the compressor to the atomizer.

4. Apparatus for dispersing finely divided particles of a liquid into a gas and comprising an atomizer, a reservoir for supplying the liquid to the atomizer, a compressor for supplying the gas under pressure to the atomizer, a casing surrounding the compressor and means for circulating liquid from the reservoir through the casing.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twenty-eighth day of October, 1929.

WILLIAM W. HACKNEY. 

